Living With a Pirate: From A to Z
by yintotheyang
Summary: A drabble series outlining what life is like for Emma when Killian moves in.
1. A is for Agitation

A/N - Hello all! It's been forever and a day since I posted anything to this account. I've taken to doing short drabbles on Tumblr and I never manage to transfer them over here. But when I had the idea for this little drabble series, I told myself I could only do it if I was responsible and posted it here as well. The following is a 26 chapter picture of Captain Swan domesticity that my brain craves. No chapter is going to be longer than 1000 words and some will probably be much shorter. I'm posting the first two at once and I'm going to try for one every day until we hit Z. But for now, we begin at A. Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think!

**A**** is for Agitation**

In the two weeks since Killian had moved into her apartment, Emma had already learned so much about him. Things she never knew because she never really had the chance. Most of it made sense, like him waking with the sun like he would have on his ship for all those years. Some things surprised her, like his off-key singing of songs he must have heard from Henry's iPod while he was in the shower. The thing that stood out the most about her pirate though, was his affinity for cleanliness and order.

It was another thing that made sense to Emma once she thought about it. He was a captain. On a ship at sea, order saved lives and cleanliness kept away disease. It was a fantastic piece of him that made her love him more. She had always kept a relatively neat place herself, so it seemed like a matching part of their personalities.

At first.

But Emma realized quickly her relative neatness was no match for his borderline-OCD neatness. They would walk in together after a long day, she would kick off her shoes at the door and lay her jacket across the back of a chair, and by the time she turned to face him, her jacket would be on the coat rack - that he apparently bought - and he would have disappeared to their room with her shoes. It was actually adorable.

At first.

Then, she caught a glimpse of Killian's face once as he was picking up after her. He seemed almost annoyed. Which didn't sit well with her at all. She didn't want him to be agitated with her at all, but she certainly didn't want him holding things inside. Moving in together had been a huge step forward in their relationship and she didn't want the momentum to stop. She wanted him to vent, so she did her best to force him the next day.

"Home sweet home," she muttered, turning to him as she took off her jacket and staring at him as she laid it across the chair. His nostrils flared slightly and he swallowed. She was sure his right eye even twitched slightly. Then, he reached for her jacket and she intercepted him. "What are you doing?"

"Retrieving your jacket," he answered, staying calm despite his obvious need to get the jacket to the coat rack.

"Why?" she wondered.

"To hang it up," Killian supplied.

"You don't think I can hang up my own jacket?" Emma pressed.

"I think there is evidence to support that notion, Swan," he mumbled, eyes falling to the jacket on the chair, and she smiled. His eyes met her face again and his brow knit in confusion. "That makes you happy?"

"Hearing you admit that you don't like my jacket habit does," she nodded.

"Is that so?" She nodded again and he shook his head, trying to reach around her for her jacket. "Well, in that case I've some lovely things to say about how you make the bed."

"Good," she laughed, smiling again, which brought out a smile from him.

"What's causing that smile?" Killian asked, seeming to have - finally - forgotten the jacket.

"Your honesty." As soon as she said it, his smile departed and hers followed. He took a deep breath, considering her carefully. She reached up to palm his cheek and her gesture seemed to comfort him.

"You and Henry live differently than what I'm accustomed to," he began. "I'm trying to adapt, and many things have been easy. I believe the Friday night pizza tradition to be the work of a genius." He smirked then and she gave him a fake glare that made him chuckle lightly. "I dunno how you feel, but I always found you and I to be like two ships that were trying to coordinate, but had trouble going the same speed. But we mastered that. And now we've merged into one vessel with two captains with different missions in mind."

"You want to keep the vessel clean and I want the crew to be happy," Emma surmised.

"Aye," he agreed.

"Well, I'm the captain who's failing if you're frustrated by my jacket placement and bed making skills and probably twenty other cleaning related things," she replied.

"Nay, this is your home. You can do as you wish."

"It's our home now," Emma corrected. "And we'll master this single vessel thing, too. We just have to give it time and learn to compromise."

"Compromise how?" Killian wondered.

"I'll hang up my jacket if you let me keep my shoes by the door until we go to bed for the night." He seemed totally confused why she would ever want or need her shoes by the door, but with one final glance at her jacket he nodded to accept her terms. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled back before her lips could hit their target.

"Your jacket, love." His smile as he said it let her know he was mostly joking, so she exaggerated her movements as she hung the jacket on the rack.

"When did you buy that thing, anyway?" she asked.

"Day after I moved in," he smiled, lips reaching for her this time. She let the kiss last three seconds before breaking away and heading for their bedroom, shoes in hand. "It's only half past seven, I thought you were only taking your shoes to the bedroom when we were headed there for the remainder of the night?"

"That's right," Emma answered, smirking at him as her plans registered and a smile bloomed on his face. He locked the front door and flipped off the lights, chasing her into their captain's quarters.


	2. B is for Books

**B**** is for Books**

Bedtime, for Killian Jones, was reading time.

Every night, as Emma drifted off, tucked neatly into his side, he had his nose in a book. He was always with her through every ridiculous fight against the latest villain, but when they got home and she was exhausted, he was still awake and ready to read.

It amazed her how much he read, going to the library every other day for something new. And his taste was broad, from Shakespeare to Stephen King to J.K. Rowling to Anne Rice. He read everything by Mark Twain and then read a biography about the author as well.

"Swan," he'd said, as she nuzzled her face into his chest. "Did you know this fellow was actually named Samuel Clemens?" She'd nodded against him, vaguely remembering that detail being told to her in some English class. Then she'd fallen asleep

Some nights, Emma would stay up watching him read. He had the cutest focused face and she couldn't get enough of it. He would pretend not to notice her staring as long as he could, but eventually he'd put the book down and kiss her senseless. Apparently he found her adoring stare sexy and he couldn't get enough of her, either.

Once, when Killian was having a boys night - her affectionate nickname for his sword fighting practice with her father and Robin Hood and Henry, despite her protests - she found herself alone in their bedroom. She picked up the Jane Austen novel off his bedside table, deciding it might be fun for him to come home to her reading for a change.

She remembered finding the first sentence mildly interesting and the next thing she knew, Killian was there, stroking her cheek and smiling. "Hi," she managed, wondering what time it was.

"I see you're not a fan of her descriptive style," he joked, tipping his head toward the book that Emma still clutched. Still open to page one.

"Apparently not," Emma agreed, smiling and leaning up to give him a welcome home kiss. Though as she did, she noticed his hair was damp from his shower. He'd been home awhile. And so had Henry. They needed to eat.

"The lad and I got cheeseburgers from Granny's," he confessed, practically reading her mind. She started to get up anyway, wanting to ask Henry about his day. "He's asleep already. I just checked. Though I'm sure he'll be eager to tell you how he disarmed his grandfather in the morning."

"You are intent on turning my son into a pirate," she chuckled.

"But a well read pirate. I had him do his homework before practice like you asked." He was too perfect and she wasn't even sure he realized it. She kissed him again and he lingered against her lips. "Swan, I wonder if you'd give this book another chance."

"I could try, but I don't think it's in the cards," Emma frowned.

"Perhaps if I read it to you?" he suggested. She nodded her agreement and they settled in, her snuggling against him as usual. Then he began, "'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife...'"

She smiled, laughed, and cried as he read. It took them a week, much longer than it would have taken him on his own, but when it was over, she had only one thing to say: "What are we reading next?"

Bedtime, for Emma Swan, is reading time, now, too.


	3. C is for Cuddling

A/N - Thanks to everyone who has read!

**C**** is for Cuddling**

There was some old crime show playing on the television, but the volume was too low to be heard. There were two empty mugs on the coffee table with faint dustings of cinnamon on the rims. There was a discarded newspaper on the floor in front of the sofa, detailing the big Storybrooke news of the day. And there were two people lost in an embrace on said sofa.

"Did you ever have a pet?" Emma wondered from her place on Killian's chest.

"Nay," he answered, running his hand absentmindedly down her back. "I do not believe the high seas would have been very friendly to an animal."

"Eric has a dog in _The Little Mermaid_," Emma noted. He tugged on the end of her hair and she smirked up at him.

"Your attachment to the cartoon adaptations of people you now actually know is equal parts charming and terrifying," he sighed.

Her head popped up curiously. "Why terrifying?"

"Because I've seen the cartoon adaptation of myself." His face was serious but she couldn't help the giggle that escaped from her throat. He rolled his eyes and she gave him a soft smile, pulling herself up so her lips were hovering over his. His arms tightened around her, watching closely as she brought her hands to his face.

"I know it seems strange to you. But those movies were part of my childhood. A rare good part. No matter what foster home or group home I was in, there was always a Disney movie." He considered her with a smile, leaning up to kiss her. Her fingers wove into his hair and she smiled against his lips as she pulled away. "But if it makes you feel any better, I much prefer the real you to the one in the cartoon."

He kissed her softly once more before she settled back into his embrace, laying her head on his chest again. "What about you, Swan? Any pets?"

"One of the group homes had a cat," Emma answered. "It was a stray, like all of us." She went quiet and he brought his hand up, tipping her chin so he could meet her eyes. "I loved that cat. I felt like it really understood me."

"Maybe we should get a cat," Killian suggested.

"I don't need a cat to feel understood anymore," she shook her head. "I have you. And you know me better than any cat ever could."

He smiled adoringly at her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you. In case you weren't aware."

"You've told me a few times." She buried her head against his chest, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks that came from his words. No matter how many times he said it, her body reacted the same way. Heat that started in her cheeks and spread throughout her body. She felt so loved and cherished with him that it didn't matter to her at all that the sun was setting and they had been on the couch since after lunch, talking about everything and nothing and just being together. She wanted to do the same thing tomorrow. "Did you ever want a pet?"

"I had Smee and that seemed adequate," he joked and she laughed into his chest.

He was smiling at her when she looked up and her heart swelled. "In case you weren't aware, I love you, too."


	4. D is for Drinking

A/N - Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed! I'm going to try to get another chapter up later tonight because I already know the CS date tomorrow night is going to put me out of commission for awhile. I hope you all enjoy this installment!

**D**** is for Drinking**

She walked in the door, tightly wound from yet another standoff with yet another villain. After everything had gone down, she'd paid a visit to Regina's to say goodnight to Henry. He was alternating weeks between his two moms, but Emma needed to hug him before she could go home or she wouldn't get any sleep.

She put her jacket on the coat rack and slipped off her shoes before making her way into the kitchen. She needed a glass of wine. Maybe the whole bottle. Or maybe something stronger. She rounded the corner and a smile tugged at her lips. Killian stood behind the island, pouring two glasses of rum and the weight she had been carrying seemed to vanish. It was so comforting to know that he was always going to be there, giving her exactly what she needed without her even having to ask.

"Thank you," she said as he placed the drink in her hand.

He nodded and then proceeded to down his own glass in one gulp. He poured himself another and she rounded the island, knocking hers back as well.

"You okay?" she wondered, rubbing his back as he filled her glass again as well.

"I will be," he smiled, leaning his head towards her and nudging her nose with his own. He was her constant supporter when it came to all of her "savior duties." But she knew he also constantly worried that those duties would get her killed.

"How fast do you think we could put away this bottle of rum?" Emma asked, hoping to lighten his burden as he had done for her already.

He smirked and downed his second glass as she did the same. "Only one way to find out."

It took an hour.

"You're cute," Emma proclaimed, resting her head on his shoulder. They were still in the kitchen, but at some point they'd taken a seat on the floor. She wasn't really sure when. "I think I'll keep you."

""Forever, I hope," Killian replied, his hair adorably haywire. Part of the reason it had taken an hour was after glass number three, they had made out for awhile. Maybe that was when they'd sat down? "Swan."

She opened her eyes, realizing she had almost dozed off. "Make me pancakes," she muttered. "Breakfast of champions."

He arched an eyebrow at her and she giggled. "I would love to, but I seem to remember you revoking my stove privileges."

She laughed again. Her pirate had tried to make a grilled cheese for Henry and had instead made only a scorch mark just above the back burner. "I think your probation has lasted long enough. Now is a good time for you to try again."

"Perhaps we could order that Chinese food that you're so fond of instead?" She smiled, all ideas of pancakes forgotten. "Your usual order?" he guessed before she could speak. She nodded and he kissed her sweetly before standing up, with only the tiniest of wobbles as he got his bearings, and retrieving the phone.

She used the island as an anchor to help her stand and slowly got to her feet. Just as she had gotten her eyes to focus and the kitchen to stop moving, a hand wrapped around her stomach and lips glided across her neck, making her dizzy all over again.

He spun her, pressing her into the island with his hips so she didn't have to focus on standing, thoughtful idiot that he was. Even when he was drunk. "They said thirty minutes. I thought we should use the time creatively."

"See, that's why I have to keep you," Emma sighed happily. "You're so good at time management. And cute. Did I tell you that you're cute?"


	5. E is for Equals

Wow, I got so many sweet reviews after the last installment! Every review means so much to me and I love you all for reading! This one is super short, but hopefully you all like it!

**E**** is for Equals**

"Swan," his voice called out as he entered the apartment and she smiled, exiting the kitchen and gravitating towards him.

"Hey, handsome," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him hello. His hand pulled her closer and he smiled against her lips.

"That's a rather pleasant welcome," he muttered, kissing her once more.

"I'm rather pleased your home," she shrugged. He kissed her forehead before stepping away to hang up his jacket. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and turned back to her. "What's that?"

"A copy of our new lease," he answered, making his way into the living room. "It seems now that I've become a permanent resident, the paperwork must be renewed in both our names."

"Oh, okay." She took a seat next to him on the couch and started looking over the documents to make sure their landlord hadn't added any hidden fees or rules. When she had read through everything and was satisfied the only change would be adding Killian's name she started to sign it, but a hand on her arm stopped her. "What?"

His eyes showed surprise and he shook his head. "No conversation? No reservations? Just willing to take this step with no hesitation?" He considered her closely and when she didn't respond he brought the back of his hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling alright, love?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you're surprised. It was my idea that you move in."

"Aye, but when I suggested contributing to the rent you disliked the idea," Killian replied. "Because this was your place and you didn't need help getting by."

"And like you told me when I said that, you paying rent wouldn't be about helping me get by, it would be about us being in this together. Having your name on the lease is just another way of showing that."

He smiled and kissed her slowly, igniting the desire inside of her. But just before she could deepen the kiss, he pulled away. "Are you certain about this?"

"Of course," she answered, pouting slightly because of the loss of contact. "I want us to be equals in this relationship. That's the only way it works."

"I love you." He said it softly, but she could still hear every emotion he was feeling in his voice. He captured her hand with his and tangled their fingers together, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I don't believe I could possibly tell you how much."

"You could show me." She waved an eyebrow at him - a trick right out of his own play book - and he chuckled.

"And I will." It was a promise and a damn good one. "First, I want to sign these papers."

She smiled at him and they signed on every dotted line to make it officially their apartment. He kissed her sweetly after they finished and then pulled away sporting a smirk.

"Now that I have a legal claim on the premises, perhaps it's time we talked about these pink curtains," he joked.

"Shut up," she whispered, rolling her eyes again and claiming his lips with her own.


	6. F is for Fighting

A/N - Sorry it's taken so long to get this posted! I had it ready yesterday, but my Internet was down. Thanks for all the lovely reviews! Hope you enjoy!

**F**** is for Fighting**

The tension was thick in the air. Tangible. Her eyes were burning with anger and his jaw was clenched tightly.

"Swan," he tried again. He'd been trying to offer an explanation for the better part of an hour.

"Don't," she shook her head. She didn't want an explanation. She wanted the last six hours to un-happen. "Nothing you can say will help right now."

He sighed and the creases in his forehead deepened. "Bloody hell." He started pacing the living room, staring at the carpet.

The silence settled around them again and Emma tried to settle herself down enough to have a rational conversation. "How could you take Henry with you?"

He glanced up at her and asked with his eyes if he was going to be allowed to speak. She nodded her permission. "He asked to go."

She looked at him incredulously. "He's a kid. Sometimes you have to say no. You have to protect him."

"I did protect him."

"No, you put both of your lives in danger. Why can't you see that?"

"Why can't you see that the lad is your son and prone to running head first into danger?" Killian countered. "Had I not allowed him to accompany me, he would have just gone alone."

"And how do you know that?" Emma asked.

"Because he told me as much." he sighed. "So I chose to allow him to come join me, figuring it the best way to protect him."

She sighed heavily and raked both hands down her face, trying to calm her nerves. She knew Killian was right about Henry. Her son had once eaten a poisonous pastry to prove his point. But it didn't make it any better that the two loves of her life had spent the day being held captive.

"I need you both alive and safe," Emma said softly.

"We are, love," he assured, slowly approaching her. He carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned his forehead against hers.

"You almost weren't," she muttered.

"Almost hardly counts," he said, smiling lovingly and pulling her fully into his arms.

She smiled then and kissed him deeply, finally letting her relief that he was okay return and overtake her anger. She pulled away slowly and he stole one more quick kiss. "Fight over?" he asked hopefully.

She laughed at his expression. He obviously remembered how they'd made up after their last fight. She nodded. "Fight over." She barely got the words out before his lips were on hers again.


	7. G is for Games

A/N - Hello all! I'm not going to lie, this is probably my favorite installment so far. I had a good time writing it! Hopefully you all enjoy! I'd love to know what you think!

**G**** is for Games**

"Uno!" Henry called out happily.

Emma pursed her lips, desperately trying not to laugh at the scowl on Killian's face. Of course, she could hardly see his face behind his handful of cards. "Bloody hell," he muttered, picking a card and setting it on the top of the pile. It was a reverse and by the way Henry's eyes lit up, she knew it had been a bad choice.

"I win!" Henry exclaimed as he played his last card.

Killian tossed down his cards in defeat and Emma finally laughed out loud, unable to contain it any longer. He narrowed his eyes at her, but he was visibly happy despite his seventh straight loss.

It was game night. That was a thing Emma actually had in her life with her family. Every Thursday, regardless of whatever villain was currently a threat, she and Henry and Killian spent some quality time with all of her favorite games. Some weeks her parents joined in on the fun and once, Regina, Robin, and Roland had come and they had played charades and Pictionary and laughed for hours.

"Your turn to shuffle, love," Killian smiled, handing her the cards and dropping a kiss to her forehead as he stood. "Would anyone like a beverage refill?" Henry nodded and Killian obliged, disappearing into the kitchen.

When he was out of sight, Emma frowned at Henry. "You need to stop looking at his cards."

Henry smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "You really think a pirate is going to care if I cheat a little?"

"I'm sure he'd be proud," Emma laughed. "But it doesn't make it okay."

"You do it, too," Henry replied, giving his mom the same knowing look that she had been giving him.

"She does what, too?" Killian wondered, returning to the living room.

Henry smirked as Emma paused, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. She was coming up empty, but luckily a knock at the door gave her a much needed reprieve. "That'll be my parents." Emma stood to answer the door, ignoring the questioning stare Killian was giving her and knowing that with him and his damn memory she really hadn't escaped anything. (Six hours later, she was admitting to the Uno cheating that led to his losing streak and he was delighting in how nicely his pirate family was coming along.)

"Hi!" Mary Margaret said happily, hugging Emma as she walked in the door. David kissed Emma's forehead and eagerly passed her little brother to her as he ran into the living room to tackle Henry. Mary Margaret smiled and shook her head, sharing a look with her daughter as Killian joined in on the wrestling match.

"Boys." they said at the same time.

"You're so young, but I bet you just can't wait to join in," Emma whispered, bouncing the baby in her arms.

The two women entered the living room and settled the men down. Emma placed her brother in the swing they had set up in the corner for when he visited and Henry put the Uno cards away. Killian got a lemonade for David and Mary Margaret while Emma made suggestions for the game of the night.

"What about Life?" she offered.

"No," David replied vehemently. "You ended up with entirely too many kids last time."

"You mean little plastic pieces?" Emma teased.

"Whatever, I wasn't comfortable with it," he maintained, making Emma giggle. "What about Risk?"

"Excellent choice, mate," Killian said, returning with the drinks.

It was Emma's turn to disagree. "No way. Do you remember what happened the last time?"

"Yeah, Grandpa and Killian were the last two left and instead of using the dice to determine battles, they started doing real sword fights," Henry smiled. "It was awesome."

"That sounds like three votes in favor," David smiles. "Democracy rules."

"You're a king, what would you know about democracy?" Emma retorted and her father laughed.

"Touché."

"What about Monopoly?" Mary Margaret suggested.

Everyone nodded their agreement and Henry began setting things up. Emma caught Killian's eye and he winked at her, making her stomach do a small flip. He knew how much she enjoyed the game nights and how normal and loved she felt when they all gathered around the board game of the week and laughed together.

"Roll to see who goes first," Henry instructed, handing the dice to his mom.

She rolled the dice and smiled when two sixes appeared. "Looks like it's my lucky night."


	8. H is for History

A/N - Good morning, all! I had all of this written on Saturday and then my tablet glitched and suddenly half of it was gone. I got so mad I just closed everything out. Then this morning, I decided to come back and rewrite it and lo and behold, everything was back. I don't understand technology. LOL. Anyway, here is a new installment! Hopefully you all enjoy! And thanks so much to everyone who is commenting!

**H**** is for History **

"I don't understand why you force Henry to go to school," Killian muttered as he pulled back the covers of their bed.

She froze, turning to face him from her spot in front of the mirror. "What?"

He shrugged. "I was looking over his homework assignment this evening and the entire thing was bloody irrelevant. Questions about some Columbus fellow and his sailing adventures. The man was no captain. He didn't have proper understanding of this realm and he failed to creatively name his ships."

"He had a big impact on American history," Emma replied.

"Aye, he brought over disease and misery to the natives and then claimed to have made a big discovery," Killian added. "But even forgetting that, American history isn't necessary for Henry. He should be learning the history of the Enchanted Forest."

"He knows more about that place than I do," Emma replied. "He's read his fairytale book a million times."

"But there's more than what's in the book," he smiled. "Thousands of years of kings and queens, many of whom are his ancestors."

"Okay fine, maybe you have a point about the history class," Emma relented. "But he does more at school than just history."

"Oh sure," he scoffed. "Yet no sailing lessons or navigational classes."

"Those things aren't exactly popular in this realm," Emma giggled, walking closer to him.

"Fine," Killian sighed. "But you should speak to the school administrator about the history curriculum."

"Why don't you just teach Henry about all of it? You were around for about half of it, right?" Emma teased, slipping her arms around his neck.

"Funny," he muttered, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Do you think he'd be interested?"

"Definitely," she nodded. "In fact, I think all of the kids at school could benefit from your knowledge."

"What are you getting at, Swan?" he asked, suspicious of the wry smile on her face.

"You should be like a guest lecturer at Henry's school," she said enthusiastically. His eyes widened and she saw his pending protests, so she covered his mouth. "Just think about it. You'd be Professor Jones." It only took her half of a second to remember that reference would be lost on him. She really had a lot of movies to show him. "I think you would really enjoy it.

He eyed her skeptically, but when she moved her hand from his mouth, he remained quiet. She kissed him slowly and then pulled away to finish her nightly routine that had been interrupted. Ten minutes later, she slid into bed next to her still pensive pirate.

"I wouldn't know where to begin," he said, looking at her. "There's so much to tell."

She smiled. "It's history. Begin at the beginning. And then try not to leave anything out."

"It's been quite a long time since I learned of everything. I'm quite rusty on the details," he admitted.

"You can practice on me," Emma offered.

"Aye?" She nodded and settled in with her head on his chest. "Alright." He paused, clearly trying to collect his thoughts. "Once upon a time..."


End file.
